Vocations update February 2026
World Day for Consecrated Life will be celebrated in the Church on Feb. 2, 2026, and in parishes over the weekend of Jan. 31–Feb. 1. Please pray for all those who have made commitments in the consecrated life and be sure to thank them on their special day. May they continue to be inspired by Jesus Christ and respond generously to God’s gift of their vocation. Also, we pray for all those who are discerning their vocation in life, particularly those whom the Lord is calling to consecrated life. May they be given the wisdom to hear God’s call and the courage to respond generously.
Celebrating National Marriage Week Feb. 7-14
A common misconception when speaking about “vocations” is to limit the conversation to those discerning a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated life as a religious brother or sister. National Marriage Week is an opportunity to highlight marriage as a vocation, a call from God.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen in his book “It Takes Three” explains, “The ultimate reason why it takes three to make love is that God is Love, and His Love is Triune. Marriage brings this mystery to light brilliantly: lover, beloved, and love are present in the relationships between husband and wife and God and between children, mother, and father—and in these capacities the human person and human society attain their full flourishing.”
There are many challenges facing sacramental marriage today, and so it is important that we celebrate and highlight the beauty and dignity of marriage and family life as a calling from God. Healthy marriages and families share in the mission of Jesus, to become more and more a community of life and love. “Hence the family has the mission to guard, reveal, and communicate love, and this is a living reflection of and a real sharing in God’s love for humanity and the love of Christ the Lord for the Church His bride.” (Familiaris Consortio #17)
One pillar found in the spirituality of the Precious Blood is expressed in the word “covenant.” In baptism, we enter a covenant of love with God and become members of the Body of Christ. Jesus shed his precious blood in an act of unconditional love, which is reflected in the covenant of marriage, “I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life.” This kind of sacrificial love is only possible if it is rooted in God’s unconditional love.
Check out the resources that are available to celebrate and strengthen marriages at
www.marriageweek.org. God is love, and the mission of marriage and family life is to guard, reveal, and communicate God’s love each day!
Fr. Angelo Anthony, C.PP.S.